Henrico’s water pressure problem impacts Richmond International Airport
HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Eastern Henrico residents and airport travelers continue to deal with low water pressure while county leaders work to solve ongoing water issues. Restrooms were the unexpected talk of the town at Richmond International Airport as thousands of travelers passed through the airport Tuesday, some noticing restroom facilities were closed and the building did not have water. "Yeah, I was a little shocked -- a little shocked that a guy came up to me [when] I was trying to go in the bathroom and pointed out some Porta Potties outside," said traveler Thomas Addison. "So I figure I'd better go check those out." Richmond International Airport on Jan. 7, amid water issues in Henrico County. (Photo: Mark Morales/8News) Officials from the Henrico County Department of Utilities addressed concerns alongside County Manager John Vithoulkas on Tuesday, Jan. 7. Leaders said the problem stems from a temporary failure at Richmond's water treatment plant. "I want to personally apologize, because I am the county manager and, you know, the mantra is that accountability stops with leadership," Vithoulkas said. "And so I want to apologize for the additional suffering that this has caused to many of our residents." Richmond leaders notified Henrico leaders of the issue on Monday, Jan. 6. County leaders said they disconnected from the water supply as quickly as possible. IN RICHMOND: Richmond residents will have to go longer without water as another malfunction delays restoration efforts Then, an unexpected water main break in Highland Springs made the problem worse. The end result was limited water pressure -- or no water at all -- for residents east of Interstate 95. "I hope they figure it out quickly because this shouldn't be going on. And we get cold weather all the time. We should be prepared for it," Addison said. At Richmond International Airport, officials set up an emergency operations center to monitor the situation. A drinking station and Porta Potties were available Tuesday for travelers. The county previously told 8News they expected water pressure to be back to normal Tuesday afternoon. At this time, there is no update on the timeline for water pressure to be fully restored in the Eastern part of the county. RELATED: Where can I get free water, water bottles in Henrico? A water tanker is stationed at the Eastern Government Center. You will need to bring a container to fill up water from the tanker. Bottled water is being handed out at the Eastern Henrico Recreation Center. If you have questions, you are asked to call 804-501-4275 and select option two. You can also view this FAQ provided by the county.
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HENRICO COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) — Eastern Henrico residents and airport travelers continue to deal with low water pressure while county leaders work to solve ongoing water issues.
Restrooms were the unexpected talk of the town at Richmond International Airport as thousands of travelers passed through the airport Tuesday, some noticing restroom facilities were closed and the building did not have water.
"Yeah, I was a little shocked -- a little shocked that a guy came up to me [when] I was trying to go in the bathroom and pointed out some Porta Potties outside," said traveler Thomas Addison. "So I figure I'd better go check those out."
Richmond International Airport on Jan. 7, amid water issues in Henrico County. (Photo: Mark Morales/8News)
Officials from the Henrico County Department of Utilities addressed concerns alongside County Manager John Vithoulkas on Tuesday, Jan. 7. Leaders said the problem stems from a temporary failure at Richmond's water treatment plant.
"I want to personally apologize, because I am the county manager and, you know, the mantra is that accountability stops with leadership," Vithoulkas said. "And so I want to apologize for the additional suffering that this has caused to many of our residents."
Richmond leaders notified Henrico leaders of the issue on Monday, Jan. 6. County leaders said they disconnected from the water supply as quickly as possible.
Then, an unexpected water main break in Highland Springs made the problem worse. The end result was limited water pressure -- or no water at all -- for residents east of Interstate 95.
"I hope they figure it out quickly because this shouldn't be going on. And we get cold weather all the time. We should be prepared for it," Addison said.
At Richmond International Airport, officials set up an emergency operations center to monitor the situation. A drinking station and Porta Potties were available Tuesday for travelers.
The county previously told 8News they expected water pressure to be back to normal Tuesday afternoon. At this time, there is no update on the timeline for water pressure to be fully restored in the Eastern part of the county.
RELATED: Where can I get free water, water bottles in Henrico?
A water tanker is stationed at the Eastern Government Center. You will need to bring a container to fill up water from the tanker. Bottled water is being handed out at the Eastern Henrico Recreation Center.
If you have questions, you are asked to call 804-501-4275 and select option two. You can also view this FAQ provided by the county.
